Production of Heavy Overhead Cranes
In Gummersbach-Herreshagen, everything is a bit bigger. The production of heavy single or double-girder overhead travelling cranes requires space in all dimensions. Since 2011, ABUS has been manufacturing hundreds of overhead travelling cranes with high spans and a load capacity of up to 120 t, as well as hoists and components, here every year. The ABUS KranHaus, a unique exhibition and seminar centre, is also located at this site.
Overview of the location
At our site in Gummersbach-Herreshagen, we manufacture series cranes, electric wire rope hoists and end carriages in specially customised configurations in flow production on an area of over 60,000 m². This industrial site was purchased in 2007 to create the basis for an expansion of the existing production and administration sites. In 2009, construction began on the first hall, an apprentice workshop, which was supplemented in 2011 by the completion of the first production hall, covering 15,000 m². Production was expanded again in 2019 and 2021 with two further construction phases, and is now spread across three buildings. The production of large overhead travelling cranes with load capacities of up to 120 t and spans of up to 42 m is located in these three production halls; in addition to the production of overhead travelling cranes, the manufacture of single-rail and double-rail trolleys, controls and end carriages also takes place here.
Production of heavy-duty Overhead Travelling Cranes
The production of overhead travelling cranes is the core of our manufacturing at this location and, due to the dimensions of the crane installations, takes up the largest part of the production area. Here, crane solutions are produced using modern technology and specialised know-how. The individual process steps – from the incoming goods inspection of the raw materials to the provision of the fully assembled and tested end product – are optimally linked and aligned by a state-of-the-art flow production system. This enables us to produce our overhead travelling cranes just in time and thus respond flexibly to customer requests. The latest production technology, the high level of expertise of our specialists, and automated test stands and extensive documentation ensure that our products meet high quality and safety standards throughout the entire production flow, so that customers can rely on the cranes absolutely. Our production processes are also characterised by a high level of cleanliness, ergonomics and LEAN principles, which contributes to efficient and effective manufacturing. A clean environment prevents contamination, for example, despite the formation of smoke when welding or painting our crane installations, and promotes product quality as well as the well-being of our employees. Ergonomic workplaces minimise physical strain and increase productivity, while LEAN principles aim to reduce waste and maximise value creation at every step of the production process. Together, these aspects promote continuous improvement and the high quality of our overhead travelling cranes. Our overarching goal is to ensure maximum customer satisfaction and reliability through quality, productivity and delivery performance.
Production of wire rope hoists and components
In addition to overhead travelling cranes, Herreshagen also manufactures single- and double-rail trolleys and end carriages. The production of end carriages and wire rope hoists involves several value-added stages and is based on synchronised flow production with short throughput times. During production, steel parts undergo shot-blasting, manual or robot-assisted welding and CNC machining. After assembly, the components undergo surface treatment and a final function test. We guarantee high product quality through standardised workflows, qualified employees and numerous inspections.
In addition to these production steps, other components, such as crane controls, are also manufactured in Herreshagen. The spare parts warehouse and Crane Kit shipping department are also located here. Crane Kits are complete, but disassembled overhead travelling cranes without main girders. The components are loaded into an overseas container and the main girders are added at the destination country. This way, we enable economical delivery in overseas containers.
Administration building and KranHaus
The administrative buildings are also in the immediate vicinity of the production facilities at this site. These include office space as well as an ABUS Vital fitness studio and a Vital garden. In addition to the office buildings and production facilities, this site is characterised by the ABUS KranHaus, an experience and training centre for customers, interested parties and training participants.
You can find out more about the ABUS KranHaus here: